Movement Toward Mono-Material Films for Packaging

Is your packaging made of a mono-material? Over the last 10 years, mono-material packaging films have taken off. According to one study, “Easy-to-recycle mono-material film packs to grow at 3.8% to reach $71 billion in 2025 says latest Smithers research.”

Why is the use of mono-material plastic packaging films growing globally? This requires starting with understanding the ecological environment and laws and regulations.

The plastic waste problem has been aggravated in recent decades as the consumption of this versatile material has continued to rise. Because it is difficult to decompose and difficult to recycle. Global plastics production has doubled since the beginning of the century, to almost 400 million metric tons per year in 2021. While the lifespan of plastic products averages around 10 years, plastics can take up to 500 years to decompose.

The pollution caused by waste plastics has continued to attract the attention of government agencies, and a number of regulations have been promulgated to strengthen the supervision of plastic packaging. The EU PPWR clearly proposes that all plastic packaging within the EU should be recyclable or reusable By 2030. Flexible packaging made of mono-materials has become one way to achieve this goal.

Mono-material packaging is easier to recycle than packaging made from different materials because it's made from a single material or fiber. This eliminates the need to separate materials, which reduces the amount of energy required for recycling and increases the likelihood that the package will actually be recycled.

As can be seen, this growth is driven by the “need for easier to recycle polymer formats . . . to reduce pollution associated with plastic and embrace circular economy models.” Mono-material films are said to be “fully recyclable” in contrast to “conventional multi-layer composite films which are difficult to recycle because of the need to separate the different film layers.”

The widespread use of mono-material packaging film can promote resource recycling and reduce the burden on the ecological environment. It is also conducive to promoting the development of the plastic circular economy and creating mutually beneficial and win-win trade.

Of course, reducing the ecological footprint should not have negative consequences for cost-effectiveness and efficiency. Monomaterials overcome these obstacles and offer us these advantages:

1.Easier to recycle.

2.Lower energy and resource consumption in the manufacturing process.

3.Reduced costs, as the production process is simplified by producing packaging with a single material.

4.Protects the quality and package content integrity.

5.Aesthetically pleasing, making it attractive for packaging.

6.Flexible in every sense of the word and therefore suitable for multi-sided printing, lamination and efficient transport.

*mono- material polyethylene PEF heat shrink film

To sum up, mono-material packaging represents the best alternative today for companies to be able to access sustainable, recyclable packaging solutions.  

At Mingca Packing, we’ve worked for 30 years in the manufacture and supply of heat shrink film  At Mingca Packing, we’ve worked for 30 years in the manufacturing and supply of heat shrink film  for 30 years. Our company is committed to the research and application of mono material packaging - PEF heat shrink film. Let us Move Toward Mono-Material Films for Packaging. Welcome to consult!